Neurodegeneration, i.e. progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, is a major health and economic concern worldwide. Neurodegeneration may result from an acute brain injury or occur due to chronic neurodegeneration as in, for instance, Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease. The process of neurodegeneration is not well-understood and, thus, no comprehensive cure is available, as yet.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of central nervous system impairment in these days. Some sources estimate that TBI is ten times as prevalent as spinal cord injury. For this reason it is often called the “silent epidemic”. More than 1.7 million individuals suffer annually from TBI in the US alone. According to the CDC, the highest incidence of TBI occurs among children 0-4 years old, adolescents 15-19 years old, and adults over 65 years of age. Despite the broad range of the population affected, TBI is still under-served and remains an unexplored pathological condition.
Many drug candidates have entered clinical trials for the treatment of TBI over the past few decades, but nearly all have failed to prove efficacy in humans in large clinical studies.
There is thus an identified need for the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of brain damage.